a first trip to paris is not complete without a round of le louvre, notre dame, la tour eiffel and l’arc de triomphe. once you get those out of the way you can actually enjoy yourself. on my recent fourth trip to the city, i felt less pressure to see E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. and more freedom to stroll the streets without deadline, savour each sip of café crème/champagne and relish each bite of croissant/poisse/saucisson/entrecôte/foie gras/etc. but you can get a taste of the real paris without spending a penny or ever setting foot indoors…